To become a landscape architect, you can study at one of nine universities across Australia. You’ll find a major institution offering a landscape architecture course in nearly all of our capital cities. The first step in the pathway to professional practice as a Registered Landscape Architect is to graduate from an AILA-accredited course, and the accreditation status is noted on the table below.
Courses range in length, with some being set up as a three year degree followed by a two year Master of Landscape Architecture – in this case the postgraduate 2 year course is the course which will have earned accreditation, not the initial pathway course. Each University has different requirements for entry into these postgraduate degrees, so it is best to check with them individually. On the other hand, some courses are dedicated undergraduate degrees of 4 years duration.
As a landscape architecture student you’ll learn about a wide range of subjects which represent the broad range of areas that you’ll be working in. Some of the areas students can learn about are ecology, the environment, construction, drawing, aboriginal culture, land management and of course, design. Almost as soon as you begin at university, you’ll find yourself in the design studio with your fellow students, embarking on your first project. In the design studio, students visit sites, hand-draw, create models, use computer programs, and learn how to create spaces that respond to their social and environmental surroundings. The design studio is where you’ll form ideas, collaborate with established design professionals and meet your fellow students who will be your future co-workers and collaborators.
Each university is more than happy to chat to potential students, so if you’d like to know more about the structure or focus of any specific course,contact the universities.
If you would like to stay in touch with design-minded folk pre-university, contact the AILA FRESH groups. AILA FRESH supports and develops students and recent graduates in the transition from university to finding their professional feet. It enables university and high school students to get a running start in the profession before they graduate. There are lots of free and affordable events on each year, and our FRESH crew love to see new faces.
You can also become a free AILA student member, anytime. This means you will get free or discounted rates to our ticketed events and regular updates straight to your inbox about landscape architectural happenings in Australia and further afield.